With the death of fracking, can renewables fill New York’s energy gap?

Town of Sanford Supervisor Dewey Decker reflects on the energy rush of the past decade, during which companies offered some Southern Tier landowners up to $3,000 per acre to use their land.
Kate Collins / Staff video

Gas well development in Susquehanna County in 2012 included "flaring" which burned off impure gas after the well was drilled and fracked, and before it was connected to a pipeline.(Photo: James Pitarresi)

After paying Southern Tier farmers $110 million for mineral rights to their land, prospectors from XTO Energy drove large stakes into fallow fields and woodlots to mark where they expected to harvest billions of dollars in natural gas.

Extending under this 50,000-acre leasehold in Broome and Delaware counties was the northern tip of the Marcellus Shale — the largest natural gas reserve in the country. With advances in fracking technology, prospectors finally had the necessary tools for extraction.

The Marcellus Shale, the largest natural gas reserve in the country, runs through West Virginia and Pennsylvania and extends into the Southern Tier of New York(Photo: William Keegan)

Yet, as the 10th anniversary of New York's Great Gas Rush approaches, the stakes marking the spot for well pads – symbols of once-giddy anticipation of striking it rich — are overgrown or gone, like forgotten gravestones. The leases have expired without a single well drilled.

Where fracking has died, a new landmark signals the promise of another ambitious energy project. Rather than seek a resource deep underground, this one soars skyward.

Anchored by guy wires and towering 320 feet above the property of James Donowick, a meteorology station tracks wind conditions. The station is the preliminary step for Calpine, of Houston Texas, to build 40 wind turbines in a 60 square-mile area of eastern Broome County.

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A weather station which collects data for the wind energy project in the Southern Tier. (Photo: Kate Collins / Staff photo)

"Windmills… It seems people love them or hate them,” said Donowick, a Town of Sanford resident who leased 110 acres to Calpine. “It depends on your attitude.”

Attitudes are helped by money. The company did not disclose lease terms, but they could vary widely. Public documents required for elected officials with a financial stake in the project puts annual annuity payments between $2,500 and $30,000 for allowing a windmill on their land.

Brett Kerr, a spokesman for Calpine, did not return calls seeking information on the status of the plan and how much acreage has been secured.

Marketed as the Blue Stone Wind Farm, the proposal is in its “community outreach” phase and has to pass through a lengthy application process that gauges the interests of all stakeholders and environmental impacts, according to the most recent documents filed online.

It would produce 124 megawatts, enough to power 20,000 homes, and tie into New York State Electric and Gas Corporation's high-voltage transmission lines traversing the area.

The stakes for this project extend well beyond the rural woodlots and fallow fields of the Town of Sanford and its local farming economy.

Windmills are a critical test of the Cuomo administration’s mandate to produce 50 percent of the state’s energy from renewable sources by 2030. The Clean Energy Standard mandate would also reduce greenhouse emissions 40 percent from 1990 levels and energy consumption in buildings 23 percent from 2012 levels.

The fatal blow to New York’s fracking ambitions came after Governor Andrew Cuomo, pressured by one of the largest environmental movements in recent history, banned fracking in 2015 due to health and environmental concerns.

An anti-fracking protest in Albany in 2012. The size and frequency of protests defined one of the largest environmental political action campaigns of our time(Photo: James Pitarresi)

Cuomo’s rejection of fossil fuel development in New York has been comprehensive and decisive, consistent with his ambition to create a national model for developing renewable energy.

Since the fracking ban, he has rejected three different pipelines proposed to move Pennsylvania-produced natural gas through New York.

Last month, joined by iconic fossil fuel opponent Al Gore, Cuomo requested an exclusion from the five-year National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, which would open two areas of the Atlantic coast adjacent to New York State for fossil fuel exploration.

Critics have casted doubts on the feasibility of renewables -- with their own set of economic limits and public relations problems -- satisfying New York’s voracious energy appetite anytime soon.

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Town of Sanford Supervisor Dewey Decker discusses how the Southern Tier energy rush has affected his community and his family farm. The Decker family have been farming in the area for over four generations. (Photo: Kate Collins / Staff photo)

Notably, an assessment published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) refuted a landmark study by Stanford Professor Mark Jacobson showing full national transition to renewable energy by 2050 is “technically and economically feasible with little downside.”

Jacobson’s analysis, which gained national attention and encouraged New York’s policy, “made implausible and inadequately supported assumptions,” according to the rebuttal by Christopher Clack. Clack is a former NOAA researcher and executive director of Vibrant Clean Energy, a firm that provides wind and solar power forecasts.

The findings of both parties spawned a bitter debate among energy scholars. Over the course of the next 10 years, places like the Town of Sanford will be a proving ground.

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Town of Sanford Supervisor Dewey Decker discusses the possibility of wind power in the Southern Tier, saying "we do not get too many negatives about it."
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Dewey Decker, owner of a 1,150-acre farm in the Town of Sanford, spearheaded the deal with XTO and a coalition of 500 landowners. While Decker made nearly $2.8 million from the mineral lease, he’s disappointed the fracking ban prevented shale gas development, which he saw as a source of cheap energy and royalty revenue to land owners.

Although Decker's land is in a valley and not a candidate for a turbine, his role as Town of Sanford Supervisor puts him in the middle of issues related to wind development, including tax incentives, regulations, infrastructure, and property valuation.

“My main concern is that it can devalue property,” he said. “How you handle that, I don’t know.” Each type of energy production has its problems, he added, “but we need them all.”

Not coming back

While some gas proponents harbor hopes that New York’s shale gas prospects are still alive, all signs suggest otherwise.

In a tacit acknowledgment of the fruitlessness of pursuing the fracking battle in New York, XTO has walked away from the $110 million it paid landowners with no attempts to extend the leases.

“We are not going to continue that fight,” XTO spokesman Jeremy Eikenberry said in a recent interview. “The bottom line is the legal and regulatory environment does not allow it.”

While the dollars are huge to an area like Sanford, $110 million barely registers on the books of a company the size of Exxon Mobile, XTO’s parent company, which last year had net income of nearly $20 billion. XTO has since leased 527,000 acres in Pennsylvania.

Other expected legal challenges to New York’s fracking ban never materialized. The reason: too much gas in Pennsylvania at too low a price means it’s simply not worth the uphill battle against political and regulatory forces in New York.

Pennsylvania officials found Cabot Oil & Gas was responsible for polluting water wells at homes in Dimock Pennsylvania. This home, owned by Ron and Jean Carter in 2009, was among the high-profile case.(Photo: James Patarresi)

The site of landmen once again offering lucrative gas leases in New York would require a perfect storm of unlikely events: sudden apathy among erstwhile devout anti-fracking activists coupled with substantial changes in state government offices and political thinking in Albany.

Even in the unlikely event the shale gas ban is lifted in some future administration, developing wells would also require costly and complex zoning overhauls and land-use revisions, town by town. That roadblock came in 2015 after the landmark decision by New York’s highest court that drillers are not exempt from local zoning laws – or “home rule”.

Moreover, economically feasible gas production in New York would have to defy the principles of supply and demand.

Natural gas production in Appalachia – mostly from the Marcellus Shale – has increased 10-fold since 2008, making Pennsylvania the nation’s third largest energy producer, trailing only Texas and Wyoming.

The play, now producing a staggering 25 billion cubic feet per day, is still far from its potential as drillers hold back in the glutted market. Meanwhile prices have fallen from nearly $9 per million BTUs at the height of the gas rush to well under $3 today.

High natural gas prices in 2008 and 2009 were responsible for mega lease deals in Broome County. Prices have since fallen with a production glut of Pennsylvania gas(Photo: Pressconnects)

After 10 years of production, drillers have produced less than 15 percent of the play, according to the calculations of Terry Engelder, a Penn State geologist who gained national attention in 2008 when he was the first to estimate the size and scale of the Marcellus.

“America does not need New York’s gas,” Engelder explained. "It has plenty of gas without it."

The bigger question is whether New York needs New York’s gas. And if not, what then?

Policy Disconnect?

For advocates of renewable energy, the good news is that Cuomo has turned away from fossil fuels.

The bad news: New York state is quickly falling behind its goals to fill its carbon shortfall with renewable energy.

From 2001 to 2016, only 21 of 162 onshore wind farms reached operation, according to an analysis by Jerry Acton, an engineer and advisor to Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers (PSE) for Healthy Energy, a non-profit groups that studies and promotes the viability of renewable energy.

More than a third of 35 additional wind projects now in the works have stalled in the face of community resistance and other factors, and only one has come on line since 2015.

“We are nowhere near on track,” said Tony Ingraffia, noting community and consumer attitudes must change to drive political will and incentives necessary to meet the state’s renewable goals. “Only taxpayers and rate payers can make this transition work. There’s no magic money coming from the moon.”

Ingraffea, a senior fellow at PSE, is no stranger to the issues. As a Cornell University engineering professor, he worked with the drilling industry to develop fracking technology. Later he became an advocate for renewable energy due to his concerns about climate change.

Based on current trends, meeting the state’s sustainable energy schedule will be no easier in coming years. Local resistance to wind power projects – a key driver of renewable energy equation – is often as fierce as it is to drilling. A primary complaint is the visual impact towers and power lines have on natural landscapes.

“Attitudes are going to have to change,” said Ingraffea, who noted some of the individuals and groups opposed to fracking are also resisting wind power.

Calpine’s success in the Town of Sanford would be a significant breakthrough. “If there’s no resistance to this,” Ingraffea added, “that’s a miracle.”

‘Existential threat’

When crunching the numbers of New York’s energy equation, there is this unmistakable take-home: New York consumes more than four times as much energy as it produces, according to the most recent figures from the U.S Energy Information Administration.

Currently, hydropower is New York’s renewable energy superstar. With the 2.4-gigawatt Robert Moses Niagara plant as its centerpiece, hydropower production accounts for some 80 percent of the state’s non-carbon energy portfolio and surpasses any other state east of the Rocky Mountains.

The state’s hydropower, however, has marginal if any growth potential. That means, with electricity demand remaining constant, combined wind and solar generation will have to grow eight-fold to meet the 2030 mandate, according to Acton’s figures.

Even with a limit on new pipelines, New York still benefits from Pennsylvania’s cheap shale gas. But with the push toward sustainable energy, it will have to either produce more renewable energy on its own, or import more renewable energy – mainly hydropower from Canada.

Importing hydropower is a viable option, according to energy economists. But it comes with a new set of problems as a cheap, plentiful and reliable energy source is phased out with natural gas.

While Canada has more growth potential for hydropower than New York, capacity may become a factor. Another factor is stability in price and supply.

"Cuomo may get away with it, but his successor might run into problems," said Fred Murphy, an energy economist at Temple University.

Whether home-grown wind energy from northern New York or hydro-power from Canada, more transmission lines will have to be built, which, as with gas pipelines, introduces a new set of problems.

"The issue is trying to balance everything," said David Popp, an energy economist at Syracuse University's Maxwell School. He pointed out that wind energy is not easily stored. "Most of the demand is downstate, where most of the wind energy is upstate."

Many agree that the stakes are high, innovation is necessary and problems are not insurmountable.

When Engelder first made national news with his predictions of the size and scale of the Marcellus, his work was met with skepticism. But 10 years of production have proven he was on the mark.

Now his predictions have less to do with the size of the resource than the consequences of burning it.

Engelder, an influential proponent of shale gas development throughout his career, said in a recent interview the need for alternative energy development is critical and urgent. Not because there is a shortage of gas, he said, but because there is a shortage of time.

Engelder cited data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration showing polar ice melting far faster than what he expected when the Marcellus Shale began making news 10 years ago. Sea levels are rising. Weather events are more extreme.

“I was more cavalier back then,” he said. “Any story about energy now has to address this existential threat … The bigger point is we’re not changing fast enough to avoid this threat.”

What are the consequences?

“They’ll have to move the city of Miami,” he said. “And we haven’t even begun to discuss what that means for refugees to come from the Pacific islands and Bangladesh — regions that are close to sea level.”

Decker agrees with Engelder’s analysis. “There's not doubt we're changing the environment. The idea is that it (shale gas) is to be used as a bridge. We need to look at any kind of energy we’ve got. I’m not against any of them.”

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The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo

The 29th annual Southern Tier Heart Walk was held Sunday, April 8, 2018 at SUNY Broome in the Town of Dickinson. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association organize the fundraising event. Sean Murphy / Correspondent photo